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Remote Connections

Use Connection Manager to manage server sessions and network shares. The window shows your saved sessions, lets you Add / Edit / Duplicate / Remove, Import / Export all sessions, Mount Network Drive (SMB/AFP), and Connect/Disconnect the selected entry.

The Connection Manager window​

Connection Manager
  • Saved connections list — three columns:
    • Type: FTP, SFTP, or SCP
    • Name: your session name
    • Status: Inactive or Active
  • Buttons:
    • Add new connection
    • Edit, Duplicate, Remove (operate on the selected entry)
    • Import, Export (backup/restore all saved connections)
    • Mount Network Drive (SMB/AFP — not saved here)
    • Connect / Disconnect (toggles based on status)
    • Cancel (closes the window)
tip

Double-click a saved connection to Connect. When connected, Status becomes Active and the Connect button changes to Disconnect.

Add a new saved connection (FTP/SFTP/SCP)​

Click Add new connection and fill in:

Add Connection
  • Session Name — how it appears in the list
  • Type — FTP, SFTP, or SCP
  • Hostname — DNS/IP, you may append :port (e.g., example.com:2222)
  • Username
  • Authentication
    • Password Auth — enter the password
    • Public Key Auth — choose Key file and (if needed) Passphrase

Press OK to save. The session now appears in the list and can be connected later.

To adjust later:

  • Edit — change any field
  • Duplicate — clone and tweak (useful for staging vs production)
  • Remove — delete the saved entry

Import / Export

  • Export writes all saved connections to a file (for backup or moving to another Mac).
  • Import restores from that file.

Connect and disconnect​

  1. Select a saved entry and click Connect (or double-click it).
  2. On success:
    • Status shows Active
    • Connect becomes Disconnect
  3. Click Disconnect to end the session.

The connected location appears in DCommander for browsing and file operations just like any other location.

Mount a Network Drive (SMB/AFP)​

Click Mount Network Drive for Windows/NAS/older macOS shares. This is separate from saved FTP/SFTP/SCP sessions and is not stored in the saved list.

Connection Manager

Fill in:

  • Protocol — SMB or AFP
  • Hostname or IP
  • Username and Password
  • Remote folder / share

As you type, the Full network path auto-builds, e.g.:
smb://username:password@server/share

Click Connect to mount the network drive. Once mounted, it appears like any other drive in DCommander.

note

SMB/AFP mounts are temporary system mounts and aren’t saved as Connection Manager entries.

Working with connected remotes​

  • Browse directories, view files and copy/move as usual.
  • Direction is always active pane → inactive pane (tap Tab to switch).

Troubleshooting​

  • Auth fails / cannot connect — Re-check Hostname (and :port), Username, and auth type (Password vs Public Key). Try Edit to correct, then reconnect.
  • Status doesn’t change to Active — Connection likely didn’t complete; review credentials and server reachability, then try again.
  • SMB path looks wrong — Confirm Hostname, Remote folder, and that the Full network path matches your environment (e.g., smb://user@server/share).
  • Don’t see the mounted share — Ensure it mounted successfully and that you have permissions to list the share; refresh the pane.